The present invention relates to a small-size multi-way waterproof connector in which waterproofing property between a connector housing and a plurality of electric wires connected with terminals is improved.
A related waterproof connector, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-329571 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9E. A connector housing 11 of the waterproof connector 10xe2x80x3 consists of an inner housing 12 formed of a synthetic resin and including a plurality of terminal chambers 13 integrally formed therewith, an outer. housing 17 formed of a synthetic resin into which the inner housing 12 is adapted to be inserted, and a spacer 28 interposed between the inner housing 12 and the outer housing 13 in order to hold female terminals 14 contained in the above described terminal chambers 13 respectively.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inner housing 12 has a box-like portion 12a of which an upper and a lower faces are open at their rearward ends. The above described terminal chambers 13 are formed in a space defined by a central horizontal wall 12b and vertical side walls 12c which also serve as partition walls. The female terminals 14 are adapted to be contained in the terminal chambers 13 respectively. The box-like portion 12a is integrally formed with projecting engagement claws 15 at opposite sides and a center of its upper and lower faces. Flange portions 16 are integrally formed so as to project from both sides of the box-like portion 12a at a center of its front face. Moreover, the front wall of the box-like portion 12a is provided with rectangular through holes 12d at positions corresponding to the terminal chambers 13, into which male terminals of a mating connector (not shown) are adapted to be inserted. Further, each of the female terminals 14 has a pair of press-connection blades 14b which are bent from plate portions at both sides in the rear of a box-like portion 14a. 
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the outer housing 17 is in a form of double boxes which are open at the front face, consisting of an inner wall portion 17a in a shape of substantially rectangular column, an outer wall portion 17b in a shape of substantially rectangular column enclosing the inner wall portion 17a, and a bottom wall portion (one wall portion) 17c connecting the inner and the outer wall portions 17a, 17b at their rear parts. A central part of the bottom wall portion 17c is formed as a thick wall portion. In front of the thick wall portion are provided rubber plug chambers 19 each having a larger diameter and a circular cross section and in which waterproof rubber plugs 18 are contained by press-fitting or the like, at positions facing with the terminal chambers 13. In the back of the thick wall portion are formed electric wire through holes 21 each having a smaller diameter and a circular cross section and through which electric wires 20 are adapted to pass so as to communicate with the corresponding rubber plug chambers 19. Each of the waterproof rubber plugs 18 is substantially in a form of a cylinder having undulations at both inner and outer peripheral faces, so that the electric wire 20 is adapted to pass therethrough without clearance.
At front opposite sides of the upper and lower walls of the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17, are respectively provided rectangular slits 22 for engaging and disengaging with the engagement claws 15 which are formed at the opposite sides of the upper and lower faces of the box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12. At the front center of the upper and lower walls of the inner wall portion 17a is provided rectangular longer locking slits 23 for engaging and disengaging with the engagement claws 15 formed at the center of the upper and lower faces of the box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12. Moreover, in a depth of the outer face of the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17, is integrally formed a V-shaped packing receiving portion 25 in a projecting manner which is adapted to receive an annular waterproof packing 24 formed of rubber. Tapered faces 26 are respectively provided at front edges of the inner faces of the inner wall portion 17a at positions facing with the locking slits 22 and 23. Further, the upper and lower walls of the outer wall portion 17b of the outer housing 17 are respectively provided in their forward parts with locking holes 27 for engaging and disengaging with flexible locking arms of the mating connector (not shown).
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the spacer 28 is in a form of a box which opens at the front face, consisting of a body portion 28a in a shape of substantially rectangular column adapted to be fitted to the inner face of the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17, a flange portion 28b in a shape of substantially rectangular column which is integrally formed with the body portion 28a so as to be bent backwardly from the front end thereof and adapted to be fitted to the outer face of the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17, and a bottom wall portion 28c of the body portion 28a. 
The box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12 is adapted to be inserted into the body portion 28a of the spacer 28. At inner faces of the upper and lower walls of the body portion 28a of the spacer 28, are integrally provided rib-like projections 29 for preventing detachment of the terminals which are adapted to engage with a rear end edge of the box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12 and rear end edges of the box-like portions 14a of the female terminals 14 which are contained in the respective terminal chambers 13.
In the front of the connected portion between the body portion 28a and the flange portion 28b of the spacer 28 are provided notches 30, 31 respectively at positions corresponding to the engagement claws 15 and the flange portions 16 of the inner housing 12. At outer faces of the upper and lower walls of the body portion 28a of the spacer 28 between the vertically arranged notches 30 are integrally formed engagement claws 32 for engaging and disengaging with the locking slits 23 in the outer housing 17. Moreover, a distal end of the flange portion 28b of the spacer 28 is in such a form that it holds the packing 24 engaged in the packing receiving portion 25 in the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17 when the spacer has been inserted in the outer housing 17.
The bottom wall portion 28c of the spacer 28 is formed with electric wire through holes 33 at positions corresponding to the respective electric wire through holes 21 in the outer housing 17. The bottom wall portion 28c of the spacer 28 serves to hold the rubber plugs 18 which are inserted into the respective rubber plug chambers 19 in the bottom wall portion 17c of the outer housing 17, when the spacer has been fitted into the outer housing 17. The electric wires 20 passed through the electric wire through hole 21 in the outer housing 17, the rubber plugs 18, and the electric wire through holes 33 in the spacer 28 are press-connected between a pair of the press-connection blades 14b of the female terminals 14 contained in the terminal chambers 13 in the inner housing 12. The terminal chambers 13 and the electric wires 20 are sealed with the rubber plugs 18 and the packing 24 respectively.
In order to assemble the above structured waterproof connector 10xe2x80x3, the rubber plugs 18 are first inserted in a fitting direction of the connector housing into the respective rubber plug chambers 19 inside the bottom wall portion 17c of the outer housing 17 which constitutes the exterior of the connector housing 11, and set as shown in FIG. 9A. Then, the packing 24 is inserted and set in the packing receiving portion 25 in the inner wall 17a of the outer housing 17.
After that, the body portion 28a of the spacer 28 is inserted into the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17 as shown in FIG. 9B, and the engagement claws 32 in the body portion 28a of the spacer 28 are locked in the respective locking slits 23 formed in the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17. This locking action of the engagement claws 32 of the body portion 28a of the spacer 28 with the respective locking slits 23 in the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17 will prevent withdrawal of the rubber plugs 18 in cooperation with the bottom wall portion 17c of the outer housing 17, and at the same time, withdrawal of the packing 24 in cooperation with the slanted distal end of the flange portion 28b of the spacer 28. Thus, the waterproofing property of the whole connector housing can be remarkably enhanced.
Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, the electric wires 20 are inserted from the electric wire through holes 21 in the bottom wall portion 17c of the outer housing 17 to pass through the rubber plugs 18 and the electric wire through holes 33 in the bottom wall portion 28c of the spacer 28 from the exterior. Then, as shown in FIG. 9D, the electric wires 20 are press-connected to a pair of the press-connection blades 14b of the female terminals 14 contained in the terminal chambers 13 in the inner housing 12 which constitutes the interior of the connector housing 11.
Next, as shown in FIG. 9E, the inner housing 12 is inserted into the body portion 28a of the spacer 28, and the engagement claws 15 of the box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12 are locked in the locking slits 23 in the inner wall portion 17a of the outer housing 17, thereby completing the assembly of the waterproof connector 10xe2x80x3. On this occasion, because the rear end edge of the box-like portion 12a of the inner housing 12 and the rear end edges of the 1box-like portions 14a of the female terminals 14 are respectively locked by the projections 29 which project from the inner faces of the upper and lower walls of the body portion 28a of the spacer 28, and the projections 29 will not be deformed outwardly, the female terminals 14 can be surely prevented from withdrawing from the respective terminal chambers 13. Moreover, as the female terminals 14 and the rubber plugs 18 can be held by the spacer 28 at the same time, those components exclusively for preventing the withdrawal of the rubber plugs are not necessary, and accordingly, the components can be reduced in number thereby enabling a low cost production to be attained. In addition, the spacer 28 can be double locked by both the engagement of its own engagement claws 32 with the locking slits 23 in the outer housing 17 and the engagement of the engagement claws 15 in the inner housing 12 with the locking slits 23 in the outer housing 17. Therefore, the withdrawal of the rubber plugs 18 and the packing 24 can be surely prevented, and reliability in the waterproofness can be remarkably improved.
However, in the related waterproof connector 10xe2x80x3, the rubber plugs 18 are covered with the bottom wall portion 17c of the outer housing 17 and the peripheral wall portion 17d around the rubber plug chambers 19 in a completely enclosed state, and therefore, it has been difficult to confirm from the exterior whether or not the rubber plugs 18 are provided in the rubber plug chambers 19 (lack of components) in assembling the waterproof connector 100xe2x80x3. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 10, water intruded from the electric wire insertion inlets outside the electric wire through holes 21 in the outer housing 17 has been liable to stay in spaces S respectively formed between the rubber plug chambers 19 in the outer housing 17 and one ends 18a of the rubber plugs. 18. There has been a fear that in case where this water thus staying is frozen, the bottom wall portion 17c and the peripheral wall portion 17d of the outer housing 17 formed of a hard synthetic resin may be broken because they cannot absorb a volume expansion when the water thus staying is frozen into ice.
Therefore, the invention has been made to solve the above described problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a multi-way connector in which the presence of the rubber plugs can be easily confirmed to improve assembling grade, and water which has intruded into the rubber plug chambers from the electric wire insertion inlets outside the electric wire through holes in the connector housing can be easily drained, thereby to reliably prevent the peripheral wall portion, etc. from being broken due to freezing of the water.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a waterproof connector comprising:
a waterproof rubber plug having a through hole through which an electric wire is inserted to be connected to a terminal;
a connector housing including a terminal chamber for accommodating the terminal and a wall portion having a through hole formed so as to oppose to the terminal chamber, through which the electric wire is inserted;
a recess for accommodating the rubber plug to thereby seal the electric wire and the terminal chamber, the recess formed on an inner side face of the wall portion of the connector housing so as to communicate with the through hole of the wall portion; and
a window hole formed on a part of the wall portion surrounding the recess so as to expose an anti-sealing part of the rubber plug accommodated in the recess.
According to the above configuration, the presence of the rubber plug can be confirmed from the exterior of the connector housing through the window hole, and the assembling grade can be enhanced. Moreover, the water intruded into the recess through the through holes in the connector housing will be drained through the window hole to the exterior and will not stay in the recess, and therefore, the wall portion, etc. will not be broken on occasion of freezing.
Preferably, a diameter of one end portion of the rubber plug which faces inside of the connector housing is reduced to extend outside of the recess, and a diameter of one end portion of the rubber plug which faces outside of the connector housing is reduced as the anti-sealing part.
According to the above configuration, the one end of the rubber plug can be easily observed from the exterior of the connector housing through the window hole. With this structure, the presence of the rubber plug can be easily confirmed, and the assembling grade can be remarkably enhanced.
Preferably, the window hole is formed so as to bore through the portion of the wall portion surrounding the recess in the vertical direction, and so as to extend up to a position adjacent to a portion where the through hole of the wall portion is provided.
According to the above configuration, the presence of the rubber plug can be more certainly confirmed from the exterior of the connector housing through the window hole, and the assembling grade can be enhanced. Moreover, the water intruded into the recess through the through holes in the connector housing will be more certainly drained through the window hole to the exterior and will not stay in the recess, and therefore, the wall portion, etc. will not be broken on occasion of freezing.
Preferably, the connector housing includes an inner housing having the terminal chamber and an outer housing having sidewalls for defining a chamber together with the wall portion, into which the inner housing is fitted.
According to the above configuration, the presence of the rubber plug can be very easily confirmed through the window hole from the exterior of the outer housing, even in case where the recess are provided in the wall portion of the outer housing in a plurality of rows both in a vertical and lateral directions. Further, the water which has intruded into the recess through the through hole in the outer housing can be smoothly and reliably drained through the lower portion of the window holes, and the damages of the wall portion, etc. on occasion of freezing can be surely avoided.